July 5, 2013

Have you ever visited the Everglades ? This vast
area in southern Florida, covered largely in sawgrass, is home to awesome
wildlife and delicate and endangered ecosystems. For many decades, this wonderful area has been
threatened by, agriculture and land development, even oil drilling. Recently,
more people have come to believe that the Everglades needs to be restored and
receive a greater degree of protection. If you feel this way, you may wonder how you can
get involved.

The key to environmental
awareness and protection is education.
Teachers, especially in the natural sciences, are on the front lines of
providing the knowledge and appreciation of the environment that encourage
communities to protect special areas like the Everglades.

An appreciation of the
Everglades begins with an understanding of its unique role in Florida. This
special area contains sawgrass marshes, hardwood hammocks, cypress swamps and
stands of mangroves where fresh water meets the sea. Each of these ecosystems
is home to amazing wildlife, from menacing alligators to elegant great egrets. However,
it is not only the Everglades wildlife – it is its key role in supplying almost
half of Florida’s fresh water through feeding the porous aquifers underneath it.
An understanding of the Everglades comes through basic knowledge of
geology, agriculture, meteorology, hydrology, environmental restoration – and
understanding how the governments work and finance our well being. In a
teaching training you can acquirethe
background for further exploring these topics and many others as well.

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In the 1970s and 1980s,
the environmental movement brought pressure on state and federal lawmakers to
begin protecting and preserving the Everglades. Although a part of the
Everglades was dedicated as a National Park in 1934, this offered protection to
only the southern section of this ecosystem. It became clear that more needed
to be done, not only to protect all of the Everglades, but also to restore some
of the sections that had been drained for agriculture or dammed for water
control or diversion.

The Everglades Forever
Act was passed in 1994 to mandate cleanup of the chemical-laden runoff that was
the product of agricultural activity in those areas that had been drained for
crops. Everglades restoration was promoted in 2000 with a law to remove some of
the levees and dams dating from the 1940s and 1950s. The purpose of this
legislation was to return to a more natural and unimpeded flow of water through
the area, freshwater that
also feeds our wells.

Understanding of and being an advocate
for the Everglades and other environmentally
sensitive areas requires good skills in oral and written communication. An online teaching degree provides those skills, along with
the ability to present facts in a clear, concise way. As an environmental
advocate, you might be asked to write a letter to the editor, send an email to
your representative in Congress or the state legislature, prepare an
informational brochure or speak at a local meeting of concerned citizens.Did You Know ?

The Everglades are often described as having only two seasons- the wet and the dry. Most hot summer days are punctuated by quenching afternoon
thunderstorms that bring life-giving water to the park.

Even if you have never
visited the Everglades, knowing that it has been designated as one of only 3
wetland areas of global importance indicates the need to be concerned about its protection and
preservation. Nowadays, you can take an advantage of earning a teaching degree online, without the sacrifice of your regular salary and time off.Earning an online teaching degree can be the first step to becoming an advocate for the Everglades and other threatened areas of the world. You will have an understanding of and the ability to speak and write well about the causes that concern you and, above all, you will be educating others to act on behalf of the environment, now and in the future.

The
author volunteered this contribution. He has been writing on education
resources, digital marketing and business for over 10 years. He has helped hundreds of businesses generate
more revenue and more profitability through his consulting.

About Me

What about ME ? I don't think that I am all that important. I am perhaps a pragmatic and technical person - and a dreamer at the same time - a Scientist and an Engineer: "Let's get things done" - to the best of our most conteporary knowledge and with all in the decision-making process being really honest !
I am excited about the challenges the Everglades present nowadays. There have been errors in the past in how the delicate Everglades system has been handled. Now let's see just how we can correct those errors.
I appreciate our ecology that supports our lifestyle - for a price. Human civilizations rose and fell because of water availability. The fascinating Everglades are the largest eco-experiment in the world - can we and are we willing to pay the price for setting it right ? And - are we completely (cross-your-heart) honest in our decision-making, all greed aside ?